FIGHTING VARROOSIS WITH

BEEVITAL HIVECLEAN
Dr. Gheorge Dobre
INTRODUCTION
Varroosis is an external parasitosis,
difficult to fight, which causes considerable economic losses to Apis
cerana and Apis mellifica bee
species.
In the current context (environment
urbanization, intensive exploitation
and chemical processing of agricultural lands, expanding the forage area
by reducing biodiversity, transhumance, etc.), the classical methods of
fighting varroosis have become ineffective and because of this Apis mellifera can no longer maintain its
balance (homeostasis) and cope with
parasitic aggression.
The questionable efficiency of the
currently used acaricides allows the
persistence of residual infestation and
the recovery of the Varroa population.
This is why it is important for the used
substances to be as little aggressive
to bees as possible, for the fighting
methods to be oriented towards alternative bio methods, and, by
technological means, the bees
should be stimulated to defend themselves also by using their native protection mechanisms. (8, 21)
There are several drugs traders in the
market providing an entire range of
miticides; however, in many cases,
these products are obsolete, con-

taminate beekeeping products with

residues or create resistance. Sometimes they are toxic for the operator
and the beekeeper needs protective
gear or sophisticated application devices. Overdosing, in most cases,
may be hazardous. Many of these
treatments can be applied only in the
active season, in a combined or alternative manner, and most of the
times success depends on external
temperature, hive type and the
strength of the bee colony.
This is why we care what products
we use. In a professional apiary, with
very many bee colonies, one must
use a small number of treatments,
easy to apply, by simple methods,
without leaving residues in beekeeping products, and efficient.
The continual use of synthesis products is limited in time, as strategic
programs may control antibiotic, insecticide and pesticide residues in
beekeeping products. (3, 13, 24)
The fight against varroosis and associated diseases is carried out on a
global scale and is an action comprised both in European Union Programs and in the National Beekeeping Program (NBP) implemented
in EU member states.
By analyzing the medicine it results
that BeeVital HiveClean meets most
of these requirements.
1

BeeVital HiveClean
BeeVital HiveClean is a product
manufactured by the company Food
& Beverage Handels GesmbH.-Austria, authorized for selling and distributed in 15 countries.
Presentation
BeeVital is available for sale in 500 ml
containers and sticks (15 ml). Control
(sticky) paper is available under the
same brand.
Composition
Besides natural extracts of propolis
and etheric oils, the composition of
BeeVital also comprises the three
main organic acids used in fighting
varroosis (citric, oxalic and formic). All
compounds are stabilized in sweet
water. By composition, BeeVital
HiveClean is an ecological pest control product (28), recommended for bio
treatments by Ecoinspect, Romania
and CSI Bremen (Annexes 3 and 4).
Mechanism of action
The acarian has adapted so well to
the parasitic lifestyle and to the biology of the bee that any change initiated from outside disrupts the
parasite-host cohabitation system
(beneficial for pest control). BeeVital
operates in a complex manner, both
on the olfactory and gustatory
chemoreceptors of the acarian, which
modifies its behavior, and on the bee
colony, which triggers the grooming
behavior. The correct use of BeeVital
HiveClean does not have any negative
influence upon the bees, the brood or
2

the queen. The association of components in view of enhancing the antiparasitic effect has proven advantageous. All the substances in the
composition of BeeVital, taken separately, have been or are used in fighting varroosis (11, 14, 18), but the efficiency
of each of these is rarely close to
90%. However, this association reduces the quantity of active substances introduced in the hive, thus
enhancing their effect. By using very
laborious detection techniques, it has
been found that BeeVital HiveClean,
applied according to instructions and
by taking into consideration the biology of the parasite, is not addictive,
does not leave residues and in time its
efficiency is close to 100%.
By changing the main microclimate
characteristics in the bee colony, the
product disorients the parasites,
which, given the fact that they are
blind, perceive this situation as a
change of the habitat and leave or disturb their hosts. Recent observations
show that after treatment, the bees
become calmer, and the colony triggers the grooming behavior. Acarians
are removed by grooming (crushed or
mutilated); they fall on the bottom of
the hive and die (22, 23). The result may
be noticed only on the bottom of the
7

Mesh bottom board

Foto: Archiv

hive, by using the screened bottom

board (also known as open mesh
floor-photo 7).
Main Characteristics
of Product
BeeVital HiveClean (16)
We consider that the table below synthesizes the main qualities of BeeVital
HiveClean, each star representing an
unquestionable value, and ultimately
these summed values signify a 5-star
value, a symbol that is also present on
the label of the product. (15)
When to use
BeeVital HiveClean
Main treatments are administered at
the end of summer-beginning of autumn, when the first wintering bees

appear and in winter during the

broodless period, over the wintering
cluster, when there is no more sealed
brood in the colony.
Intervention (secondary) treatments
are applied as an immediate solution,
in February-April, when pollen is foraged and, as the case may be when
one finds a large number of acarians
in the active growth period of the
brood (May-June or July-August).
Control treatments (diagnostic) are
necessary when one notices the involution of the bee colony. By taking into
consideration the fact that the clinical
signs of varroosis are noticeable only
in the advanced stages of infestation,
it is important for the diagnosis to be
performed in the apiary and, as the
case may be, for the disease to be
confirmed in a laboratory. The treatment is applied by periodical repeti-

Table 1 MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF

PRODUCT HiveClean (16)
The treatment acts in time and its efficiency is over 95%. The medicine maintains its effect between 6 and 10 days after administration.
BeeVital has no adverse effects on brood, adult bees or queens and
does not cause resistance to treatment. Accidental overdosing creates no problems in the bee colony.
BeeVital is easy to apply, it does not require difficult technologies or
protection measures for the operator, it is beneficial also as an adjuvant in fighting other diseases (mycoses, other parasitoses, etc.)

#
#
#

It may be used all year round (when the outside temperature is between -1o and 25oC) no matter the physiological state of the bee colony.

Its formulation is based only on natural ingredients (ecological product) and leaves no residues in honey or in other beekeeping products.

#
3

tion, at adequate time intervals, by

taking into consideration the extent
and intensity of the Varroa infestation,
the specific nature of the parasites biology and the evolution of the bee
colony.
How to use
BeeVital HiveClean
When one uses BeeVital, it is important to comply with the instructions of
the manufacturer. Only in this manner
can the beekeeper maintain the bee

colonies in a good state of health, with

high productivity, reducing the Varroa
population to the minimum.
The product must be heated at the
temperature of the human body and
the container shaken well before application. Dribble approximately 15 ml
of BeeVital HiveClean into 7-8 gaps
between frames in the middle of the
hive, directly onto the bees (photo 12).
One application is efficient until day 8,
but acarian falls may continue for several days, depending on the degree of
infestation. When there is sealed

Table 2 TREATMENT CALENDAR (Northern Hemisphere)

Month

Period

No. of treatments

Observations

FebruaryApril

When the
1-3 treatments
pollen foraging with BeeVital
begins
HiveClean
every 7 days

Depending on the presence of

acarians in the detritus
(residue on the bottom of the
hive) during the spring apiary
overhaul

MayJuly

During
foraging

1-3 treatments
with BeeVital
HiveClean
every 7 days

Only when needed.

Depending on acarian
falls

AugustOctober

After honey
extraction

1-3 treatments
with BeeVital
HiveClean
every 7 days

Main treatment

1 treatment with
BeeVital HiveClean
every 7 days

Main treatment
Outside Temperature
over -1oC

November- When there is

December
no more
sealed brood

Legend: Efficient control of Varroa infestation may be obtained only by good knowledge of the
acarian biology and by observing the treatments calendar, conceived according to the several periods of bee colony development. Determining the level of infestation prior to treatment is needed
and it is advantageous from economical viewpoint. However, performing control treatments is possible at any time of the year, even in the presence of the wintering cluster. The result may be observed by any beekeeper that has screened bottom boards and control paper, in the conditions of
an outside temperature exceeding -10 Celsius.
4

cycle of a bee colony without specifying the latitude of the location where
the respective bee colony lives.
A bee colony can grow harmoniously
only when it is in biological balance.

12

The bee colony

annual cycle

Treatment with BeeVital HiveClean stick.

Foto: BeeVital Archive

brood in the colony, it is necessary to

execute three successive applications, at one-week intervals, by dribbling the liquid over the bees, in doses
of 15 ml of BeeVital per colony, in
order to remove the acarians that appear at eclosion of the brood. In the
active period, in case of hives heavily
populated with bees, it is necessary
to remove wax bridges. In the case of
frames that are not covered by bees,
the beekeeper has to reduce the nest
by eliminating these frames. On hot
days, the treatment should be applied
late in the afternoon, when all the
bees are in the hive. One must avoid
treating largely depopulated bee
colonies, until one finds out the cause
for which the colony has devolved.
Success in fighting varroosis depends
on how fast beekeepers, by taking
into consideration EU requirements
on the quality of beekeeping products, shall implement modern pest
control strategies.

At the beginning of the active period,

the main activity of the bee colony
consists of nursing the brood and its
subsequent evolution is related to the
existence of food and the possibilities
of procuring and accumulating reserves. In the temperate climate area
(parallels 44-46) the queen starts laying eggs in January, the colony
reaches its growth peak at the end of
June, the decline starts in July, when
the day duration starts decreasing, and
in the middle of October the queen
stops laying eggs. The last eclosion
takes place at the end of November.
Correlated with altitude, in the mountains, at over 1,000 m, the active stage
is shorter, but also more intense, and
in the field regions, the wintering stage
is shorter, but in this case, summer
corresponds to a regression caused by
the drought. The rains at the beginning
of autumn, if any, may generate a revitalization of vegetation and the activity
of bees may be resumed. In this case,
the growth curve has two peaks: one
at the beginning of summer and another in autumn.

THE BEE COLONY

Labor relationships
between bees

Worldwide, bees live from close to the

Arctic Circle to the equator. One cannot describe the annual biological

The social life and the organization of

individuals in the colony depends on
the season and on their physiological
5

necessities. Thus, the division of labor,

the functions of nutrition, breathing
and defense manifested both individually and socially entitle us to consider
the bee colony as a superorganism,
and we may define its swarming as an
asexual reproduction.
Labor relationships between bees,
within the colony, are related to: building combs, cleaning cells, feeding the
brood, processing nectar, storing
pollen, ventilating the nest and defense. Outside the colony, bees perform orientation flights, bring water and
take part in foraging nectar, pollen and
propolis. In addition, a situation of danger triggers the defense mechanism.
Instinctual activities and
behavior patterns
From the multitude of the bee colony
activities and behavior patterns, we
may enumerate several instinct-driven
ones: foraging, nectar processing,
pollen storage, swarming, recognizing
hive mates, caste differentiation, supersedure, driving out of drones, bee
dance, hygienic and grooming behavior, propolisation, etc. Or activities and
behaviors generated by factors which
are external to the colony, such as: defense, states of alarm which lead to
agitation and even aggressiveness, or
those generated by human intervention, when normal or unexplainable behavior patterns occur. These occur by
actions triggered or regulated by the
action of ancestral stimuli and mechanisms, instinctually guided, usually by
specific chemoreactions, and the beekeeper attempts to control them by
various interventions (smoke, sprays
with water or various other substances, etc.)
6

Bee colony evolution

and involution
In order to keep and use the bees according to their natural growth, the main
preoccupation of the beekeeper is to
maintain the biological balance (homeostasis) of the bee colony. When a bee
colony start devolving, one must carefully examine and establish the cause
that has generated this state. The existence of queenless, weak, depopulated
families, incapable of defending themselves against aggression, with wideopen openings, with cracks or with
inadequate nest organization, constitute a predisposition to or sign of disease. The causes which lead to
devolution are either an inadequate
queen bee (exhausted or fecundated
by related drones), or old, deformed or
moth-attacked combs, brood diseases
(foul brood, chalk brood, stone brood,
etc.), or a strong attack of Nosema or
Varroa.
Defense complex in bees
The basis for maintaining the health of
living organisms in the animal regnum
consists of systems and complexes of
defense against pathogens (protozoa,
fungi, bacteria, viruses, etc.), which
have evolved and perfected on the
phylogenetic scale. In insects, these
systems, although existent, have been
scarcely researched (7).
Disease evolution and pathogenic impact are influenced by the host-parasite
relationship, both on an individual and
on a population level, and the defense
complex is manifested both on an individual level and on the level of the
colony as a collective defense system.
On an individual level, defense mech-

anisms are internal and protective (external). Internal mechanisms (immunity) are congenital and acquired, are
based on humoral and free cellular elements and represent the capability of
the bee organism to know the self and
reject the not self. The hemolymph
contains free cells, with phagocytizing
role, but also humoral components
with antibacterial action (lysozyme,
apidecines). The food administered to
the larvae contains antimicrobial substances. In the intestinal cavity, but
also on the exterior, there are cells that
secrete anti-infectious substances.
External (protective) mechanisms are
based on the integrity of anatomical
and physiological barriers (chitin covering, intersegmental membrane, intestinal wall). These mechanisms can
be annihilated on the exterior by ectoparasites such as acarians Varroa
and Acarapis and on the inside by
Nosema protozoa.
Besides these individual defense
mechanisms, the bee colony ensures
its anti-infectious protection and
homeostasis on a superorganism level
(collective defense), by maintaining
thermal conditions in the nest, by interrupting the egg laying in drought and
nectar scarcity periods, by larval food
containing anti-infectious substances
and by phytoncides foraged from nature, found in pollen and nectar.
The colony also reacts as a social
community in order to face infectious
aggression, by defense behavior, by
hygienic behavior (removing infected
bees and sick brood), by self-cleaning
behavior, grooming behavior (photos
3a, 3b, 3c, 4a, 4b, 4c) or by leaving the
strongly infected or parasitic nest. (5, 7,
20)
Behavioral mechanisms occur by
instinct and are part of the patrimony

3a

Acarian mutilated by bees, damage of accarian shield, dorsal view.

Photo: Mgr inz. Maciej Howis
3b

Acarian mutilated by bees, damage of acarian shield, ventral view

Photo: Mgr inz. Maciej Howis

3c

Acarian mutilated by bees, multiple damages: shield, broken limbs, etc ...
Photo: Mgr inz. Maciej Howis

(the genetic heritage of the species).

The way in which these mechanisms
occur is little known and cannot be totally controlled by man, but nevertheless, by knowing them, one can
influence them (hinder, trigger or favor).
The grooming behavior is present in
several animal species and is known
and described in bees, especially in
Apis cerana. Acarians (parasites) can
be removed and harmed (mutilated),
a process which is triggered by individual grooming action or by a collective activity (grooming dance), and in
Apis mellifera by natural mechanisms
or by using BeeVital. (22, 23)
The individual defense mechanisms of
the bee colony, its hygienic behavior
and its grooming behavior may be enhanced and consolidated by selection
or stimulated by various techniques
and methods. (5) Selection is a laborious, costly and long-lasting action,
while measures of disease prevention
and of stimulating these instincts are
available to beekeepers, are less
costly and may be applied to any bee
colony.
One must treat the colony as
a whole, not the individual
The bee colony, as a whole, has multiple reaction capabilities, which is understood or not by the beekeeper who
supervises their activity. Before starting a treatment, one must estimate
the strength of the bee colony and its
reaction capability (prognosis). Depending on the result of the appreciation (diagnosis), one decides whether
to maintain it as such, to unify it under
treatment or suppress it. Bees in a devolving colony represent a source of
infection for the apiary, as they can no
8

longer satisfy their individual or collective necessities and they die.

Integrated
pest management
Integrated fighting is based on knowing the environment and the living
population dynamics that exists in a
certain area.
In applying the strategy of integrated
fighting against parasitoses, one must
take into consideration all the ectoparasites that may coexist (Varroa,
Braula, Acarapis, etc.) and establish,
by laboratory examinations, adequate
fighting procedures. For fighting, one
must use all accessible means (mechanical, physical, chemical and biological) depending on the season, the
physiological state of the bee colony,
and all the growth stages of the parasitic biological cycles. The concept of
integrated pest management implies
maintaining the pest population on
levels that do not cause economic
damages. The uncontrolled use of
chemical products has not eradicated
varroosis but induced the acarian resistance, and the presence of
residues has generated unfavorable
(adverse) effects both on man and on
the environment. Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) is a scientifically
justified principle with the main objective of reducing residues in agricultural
and alimentary products, by limiting
the use of pesticide treatment.
BIOLOGY AND BEHAVOIUR
OF VARROA SP. ACARIAN
Currently, varroosis is a panzootic
which has engulfed the entire world
and endemically threatens the exis-

tence as a species of the honeybee.

Taxonomically, the acarian is part of
Varroidae family, Varroa variety. There
are various species in bees: V. jacobsoni (Oudemans 1904); V. underwoodi
(DelfinadoBaker & Aggarwall 1987);
V. rindereri (Guzman & DelfinadoBaker 1986); V. destructor (Anderson
& Trueman 2000). (7)
Acarian Varroa destructor, present
also in Europe, is the most aggressive
external parasite of the honeybee, as
it affects the entire adult population
(worker bees, drones, queen), as well
as the juvenile stages of growth, starting with that of larva, 9 days of age.
The development of the acarian starts
with the birth of the brood and ends
with the end of the egg-laying process
of the queen bee. (1)
The parasite inserts itself between the
chitin plates of adult bees, where it
penetrates the intersegmental tegument and ingests the hemolymph. By
perforating the intersegmental membranes, it is responsible for disseminating and maintaining viruses in the
bee colony. The parasitic activity of
the mite is very damaging, it weakens
the organism of the bee, reduces its
lifecycle and favors the occurrence of
bacterial and mycotic diseases. (1, 7, 11)
For reproduction, it penetrates drone
or worker bee brood cells shortly before sealing. The acarian is attracted
towards the bee chemically, thermally
and by vibration. (11, 12). After sealing, it
lays up to 7 eggs at 1-2-day intervals.
Some of them, by metamorphosis,
reach the stage of adulthood.
The
global fertility of the acarian is influenced by the development cycle of
the bee colony and by the temperature of the environment.
The female has an oval-shaped body,

with the anterior-posterior diameter

smaller than the lateral diameter. The
anatomical peculiarities of the female
certify its strong adaptation to parasitic life. The shape of the body and
its suckers ensure a solid attachment
of the acarian on the body of the bee.
Moreover, during feeding, its attachment is completed by the action of
chelicerae. Both the body and the appendix (pedipalps and legs) are covered by numerous hairs, which form
an elastic covering, preventing the immobilization of the female (between
the cocoon and the nymph), and between the chitin plates (tergites / sternites) of the adult bee. The attachment of the acarian on the bee is facilitated by the featherlike conformation of the hairs on the ventral side of
the Varroa female, which operates as
a zipper with the also featherlike hairs
on the body of the bee. The absence
of the anal valvula facilitates excretion
in limited space, and the mobility of
the proximal extremities of the
perithermal tube ensures proper
breathing in various conditions. The
acarian hides between abdominal
sternites, where they overlay over the
wax mirror, where it is usually protected against the cleaning actions of
the bee and the beekeepers eyes. (1, 11)
The male is smaller than the female
and remains in the sealed cells, with
the juveniles. The color of the tegument is grey-whitish or yellowish and
lacks chitin. The mating takes place in
the cell, before the eclosion of the
bees. After mating the males die. The
females lay eggs only on bee larvae.
Acarian eggs are milky-white in color.
The first-laid egg is a female, the second is a male, and the rest are females. The determination of the
9

gender of the descendants depends

on the fecundation or non- fecundation of the oocyte. During the active
period, the fecundated females are
found on bees or in sealed cells, with
brood (in a ratio of 1/3 1/6). They
may be founding females, which may
initiate a new cycle, young females,
fecundated by their brothers and
which will initiate their first cycle or unmated females who, in the next stage
will initiate their own first partenogenetic cycle, followed by normal
ones.
Dissemination in the hive is performed
only by females, the acarian moves
along the frames and to the bees, of
which they attach by their suckers. On
the body of the bees the Varroa females move very easily and find their
favorite attachment position, usually
between the first abdominal chitin
segments (photo 1).
Sensory organs on their first pair of
legs perform orientation; their main
stimuli are vibrations, smell, taste and
temperature. The first pair of legs has
a small sensory cavity (photo 9), with
chemoreceptor sensiles which act as
olfactory organs. At the base of the
first pair of legs there are olfactory and
gustative sensiles and mobile pedipalps with a tactile role (photo 10).
These represent sensory organs that
control the reactions of the female
acarian in the environment (attachment to the bees, penetration in the
cell before sealing, perforating the
tegument and feeding, etc.) (12)
The juveniles (larva, protonymph, deutonymph) and the males do not leave
the comb cells, while female may
leave them. The feeding is performed
by repeated contact with the hemolymph, by perforating the interseg10

Bee with Varroa mite

Foto: Archiv

mental tegument of the worker bee or

the drone, or by perforating the larval
epidermis. For reproduction, the female prefers drone brood to worker
bee brood. When a female penetrates
a drone cell, the evolutionary cycle becomes longer, and there may be as
many as 7 eggs, and during the wax
removal there may be as many as 2
young fecundated females and one

11
Control sheet

Foto: BeeVital

unfecundated one. Thus, in a drone

cell, especially in July, there are at least
1-3 female acarians, or even more,
while in a worker bee cell usually there
is one female. By the rapacious action
on the bee brood, the Varroa female
prolongs the sealing period, favoring
the growth of its descendants and
thus enhancing its prolific nature. The
number of reproductive cycles of a
Varroa female in one year is 3-4, but it
may be as many as 7. The lifecycle of
the female is 2-3 months in summer
and 6-8 months in winter.
The maximum number of parasites is
at the end of the active season, when
the first signs of disease are also recognized. In autumn the females focus
on the last worker bee brood, and in a
cell there may be several females. The
critical level of infestation of the worker
bee brood is 10% of the cells, and over
this level the family faces extinction. In
the colonies which are not treated in
the autumn the degree of infestation of
the worker bee brood can be almost
50%, and in every worker bee cell
there can be several adult females (1).
An average infestation of 10% of the
worker bee brood cells corresponds

Photo: Schweizerisches Zentrum fr Bienenforschung

to an average infestation of 40% of

the drone brood cells. Our observations according to the mesh bottom
board show that the natural mortality
(acarian falls) intensify starting with
May and reach a peak depending on
the intensity of the invasion in JulyAugust.
It appears that the Varroa female can
survive at a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius and a relative humidity
of 50%, without food, for 3-5 days,
even more. At the end of the beekeeping season, the fecundated Varroa females attach between the
abdominal chitin plates (tergites /
sternites) of young bees, where they
will winter. They will immediately penetrate the cells of the spring brood.
In a bee colony that is not treated in
the autumn, the number of acarians
may vary from hundreds to thousands the stronger the bee colony
and the more brood, the more acarians there are.
Acarian pathogenicity
Varroa acts on adult bees, larvae and
pupae by: weight loss; morphological

10

Photo: Schweizerisches Zentrum fr Bienenforschung

11

deformity; reduction of the secretion

of hypo-pharyngeal glands; reducing
the protein level of the hemolymph;
contamination with viral particles or
other infectious germs; reducing wax
secretion and lifecycle, etc., and over
the bee colony by: depopulation, abnormal brood, attack of opportunistic
germs. The pathogenicity of the acarian is not only a complex individualcolony phenomenon, but it also varies
depending on the factors that may influence the homeostasis of the bee
colony (6, 7, 17).
Population unbalance
of the bee colony
The weakening of the bee colony occurs because of the reduced viability
of descendants, which are not capable of ensuring the normal activity of
the colony. The seriousness of the effects on the newly eclosioned bees is
also influenced by the number of
founding Varroa females, and by their
descendants that have fed with the
hemolymph of the nymph. Severe infestation may cause its death before
eclosure. The overloading of the body
of the bee with acarians and the consumption of hemolymph reduces the
flight capabilities of the bee and influences biological performance within
its colony. The capability of the acarian to be a vector for pathogens is another hazard that must not be
neglected (1, 6, 8, 11).
Epizootology
Parasitic families represent infestation
sources. Abandoned and sanitarily
unchecked apiaries, as well as feral
swarms, are focal points for spread12

ing the disease. The bees carrying

Varroa females facilitate the infestation of vulnerable colonies. The
spread of the acarian is ensured by
lost bees, robbing bees, drones, by
the introduction in the apiary of
swarms with unknown origin, by the
introduction of queens with uncontrolled accompanying bees. The diffusion of the disease on large territories is performed especially by pastoral bee activities, in which untreated
or insufficiently treated bees take
part. It is possible that wasps also
play a vector role in transmitting varroosis.
The disease is unnoticeable in the
first year, becomes apparent in the
second year and threatens the extinction of the colony in the third year,
when the acarian-bee ration may be
20:100 (1).
APIARY HEALTH
SUPERVISION
(Varroosis Diagnosis)
Only the permanent sanitary-veterinary supervision and continuous prevention and fighting of disease will
help one diagnose and control the degree of infection, avoiding in this way
the surprise of explosive manifestations of these conditions. Laboratory
testing is a must, as many diseases
cannot be diagnosed clinically, evolve
in a hidden, asymptomatic manner,
and once the bee family starts collapsing, there is no more recovery.
The experience of previous years,
even in less deleterious conditions,
shows us that the lack of action drastically diminishes the livestock and
may compromise beekeeping growth
over the following 3-5 years.

What does one determine

and how does one interpret the results?
The health state in case of varroosis
is monitored in apiary or in laboratory,
on live bees, by direct observation, by
uncapping drone and/or worker bee
brood and in a permanent manner by
using the screened bottom board. In
fighting Varroa we have to take into
consideration the physiological state
of the bee colony and the biological
cycle of the acarian.
Prevalence: Total number of cases or
focal points (frequency of the disease);
Invasion extension: Presence of
parasites in the environment (on the
level of the apiary) = Examined samples / positive samples (%);
Incidence: Number of cases or focal
points in a population;
Intensity (host/parasite ratio on the
level of the bee colony), amplitude,
degree of parasitic infestation.
Counted acarians are related to the
number of bees calculated to exist in
the hive at the moment of the determination. The quantity of bees in a
colony is to be estimated taking into
consideration the number of intervals
between frames. In average there can
be between 10,000 and 40,000 bees
in a production colony (150-270
grams/interval)
Host/parasite ratio: must be known in
its dynamics, and the intensity may be
considered weak, average or strong
(devastating) (25)
Not supervising the evolution of a disease leads to a situation of not really
knowing its extension and how important the losses might be. The
analysis and evolution of these indi-

cators allow us to appreciate in an efficient manner the efficacy of the applied fighting means, and the success
in keeping varroosis under control.
DIAGNOSIS PROCEDURES
AND METHODS OF FIGHTING
Apiary examinations
At the beginning of wintering, one must
perform a control treatment. Overwintering must be supervised by brief revisions; at the end of wintering period, the
main revision must be performed and
the detritus collected on the bottom of
the hive must be examined. During the
active season acarian falls must be
checked by means of screened bottom
board and the sealed brood (photo 6)
has to be examined microscopically.
Depending on the level of infestation
and taking into consideration the calendar (see table 2), one or several treatments need to be applied.
Observations on the
screened bottom board
The screened bottom board collects the
acarians fallen off the bees (photo 7),
retains insect larvae (moths) and all
the residues removed or fallen from
the hive. It also offers the benefit of
elimination of carbon dioxide during
winter and ensures proper ventilation
during transportation (the bees never
cover the bottom mesh with propolis).
In order to evaluate the degree of Varroa parasitic infestation, one places
white sticky paper on the metallic tray
of the mesh bottom board and
counts the number of parasites fallen
on it. The natural mortality of the acarians observed in summer time as well
13

as analyses of the collected detritus in

winter time supply us valuable data
regarding the intensity of the infestation (7, 8, 11). If, at the end of summer, the
number of fallen parasites exceeds 30
in 24 hours, it means that the situation
requires immediate action.
Table 3 shows the correlation between natural fall of acarians, the de-

gree of parasitic infestation of the bee

colony in the active season between
June 15 and August 15, as well as the
necessary actions to be performed. In
order to diminish the losses of bee
colonies due to Varroa infestation the
evolution of the disease must be monitored all year round using the mesh
bottom board.

Table 3 APPRECIATING THE DEGREE OF INFESTATION

BY NATURAL ACARIAN FALLS
Daily acarian
falls

Parasitic infestation degree

Measures

0-8

Weak = under 100 acarians

Control repetition

8 - 15

Moderate = 100 1,000 acarians

Treatment

15 - 30

High = 1,000 2,000 acarians

Immediate
treatment

Over 30

Over 30 Critical = over 2,000

acarians

Complex fighting
measures

WARNING! During the winter, when one notices on the bottom board more
than one acarian in every two days, the bee colony may perish until the end of
the season and in this case a treatment in the wintering cluster with a substance which is adequate to that moment is required.
In February March, the level of infestation of the bee colony is examined by method of sieving or flotation
of the samples taken (collected detritus). The collection is dried for 2448 hours. One can examine it by
separating the impurities by sieving
(system of sieves with 3; 2; 1.6; 1 mm
mesh) and/or the detritus is mixed
with ethanol; the residues from wax,
14

propolis, wood, bee remains, sediment on the bottom of the container,

and the parasites remain on the surface of the washing (immersion) liquid, in this way they may be
examined and counted. The degree
of infestation is determined by relating the number of found acarians to
the estimated bee population in the
hive (7).

Control treatments
with acaricides
At any time during the active period
we may diagnose the intensity (amplitude) of the Varroa infestation of the
bee colonies by the method of control
treatments with acaricides, at over
90% accuracy.
The control treatments with acaricides
may be applied in any period of the
year by using BeeVital HiveClean,
even in the wintering cluster. The result is noticeable by any beekeeper
who has screened bottom boards,
adhesive paper to retain parasites and
adequate temperature conditions
(over 0 degrees Celsius).
The control treatment must be applied
to at least 5% of the hives. If, at the
end of summer, the number of acarians fallen in 24 hours exceeds 30 individuals, it is necessary to start the
treatment immediately.

mature bees and/or bees with deformed wings which might unbalance
the bee colony after eclosion (3, 8, 16).
Control on live bees
This is the most frequently used
method both by specialists and by
beekeepers. By clinical observation
one determines the presence or absence of the acarian on the bees. In
order to reach the detection threshold,
the observation should be performed
early in the morning, when foraging
bees have not left yet. In order to
apply the control method on live bees,
the live bees may be harvested by a

Observations on the
sealed brood
By uncapping drone brood, one determines the infestation percentage
examining 100 cells and counting the
number of infested ones (photo 6).
Correlating this number with the surface of existent sealed drone brood
we find out the number of infested
drone cells in the colony. In order to
determine the number of acarians in
the colony, we use 10 as a multiplication factor (mentioned in the specialized literature). A parasitic infestation
level higher than 4% imposes the immediate application of the treatment.
By uncapping worker bee brood
(n=200) one identifies not only the infestation on the nymphs, but also im-

Uncapped drone brood. Photo: National Refernce Lab of

the National Institute for Diagnosis and Animal Health, Bucharest (X20)

15

portable aspirator or by shaking them

into a paper bag. In order to be significant, the sample must contain at
least 200 bees. Both in the apiary and
in the laboratory one may use several
examination techniques: the ether
method, stirring in alcohol, in water
with various solvents, with detergent
0.1%, by using acaricide strips or
dusting the bees with powder sugar
in a recipient with a perforated cap.
More simply, one can freeze them or
dry them and determine the parasitic
percentage by sieving and counting
the mites, thus establishing how many
parasites have fallen from 100 bees.
In the active period, when the egg laying of the queen is at its maximum capacity, the ratio between the number
of acarians on the bees (approximately 15%) and the number of acarians in the brood cells (about 85%) is
1 to 6. When the presence of brood
reduces this ratio is 1 to 3, and when
it is absent, we no longer need a cor8

Control sheet from mesh bottom board with

debris
Photo: National Refernce Lab of the
National Institute for Diagnosis and Animal Health, Bucharest -

16

rection factor. Between July and September, when the egg laying is significantly reduced, the number of bees
decreases, the colony is depopulated,
and the percentage of acarians on
100 live bees may increase from 6%
to over 35%.
By knowing the biology of the parasite, when one appreciates the number of acarians in a bee colony, one
must take into consideration that this
number may be influenced by the current season, by the strength of the
colony and by the manner and conditions in which the treatment has been
or is applied.
Laboratory examinations
If one does not know the epidemiological situation of an apiary and the
administered treatments, in order to
determine as exactly as possible the
degree of varroa infestation it is necessary to perform clinical examinations in the apiary, which need to be
performed by means of laboratory examinations: sugar dusting, washing in
alcohol, washing with 0.1% detergent,
examining the detritus. Laboratory examinations performed within the
strategic program of supervision, prevention and fighting of bee diseases
will confirm and complete the observations made in the apiary (15).
Of all the diseases affecting the bees,
varoosis (and associated diseases)
represent one the most important
causes of losses in apiaries, worldwide. For this reason, the Varroa control methods must take into consideration both the incidence and the
prevalence of varroosis and the biology of the parasite and the dynamics
of the disease.

INFORMATION ON
VARIOUS INTERVENTIONS
WITH BeeVital HiveClean
BeeVital HiveClean is manufactured in Austria and sold in over 15
countries, out of which 13 are in the
European Union. The qualities of this
product have been tested and compared with other antivarroa products
(Apiguard, Thimovar, Perizin, Apioxal, Apilaifvar, Bipin, Fumisan,
etc.) by numerous experiments at
Hochenheim University of Germany
(H. Horn - 2003), at Ages Institute of
Vienna (R. Moosbeckhofer - 2005),
at the National Zootechny and Veterinary Medicine Institute of Chisinau
(Valentina Cebotari - 2006), at Nigde
University of Turkey (E. Akyol et al 2008), at Apiculture Section of ISK in
Puawy, Poland (K. Pohorecka 2009) etc.
Extended research of BeeVital HiveClean is currently carried out (September 2009) in the Institute for
Diagnosis and Animal Health in
Bucharest, Romania due to a collaboration protocol with the Romanian
National Reference Laboratory for
Honey Bee Diseases in order to investigate the existence of a relation
between hygienic behavior of bees,
crippled or squashed Varroa mites
and Bee Vital treatments. Fighting
varroasis with BeeVital was monitored for a long period in apiaries in
Austria, Hungary, Poland and Romania (2, 9, 10, 17, 22, 23, 25).
Using BeeVital is recommended for
ecological beekeeping by organic
agriculture inspection and certification
organisms in Romania (Ecoinspect) or
Germany (CSI - Bremen) (annexes 3
and 4).

CONCLUSIONS
Supervision of bee
colonies, evaluation of the
extent and intensity of the
varroa infestation and
applied treatments.
We benefit from the experience of
more than four decades of fighting
this acarian but we see how production capabilities diminish, the mortality of affected families remains at
alarming levels, varroosis and associated diseases continue to spread and
cause damages.
Fighting has become difficult and
complex because of the multitude of
epizootological factors. It is difficult to
control the evolution of the disease,
because of the biological peculiarities
of the bee colony and often with poor
results, because of the lack of reliability of acaricides or difficult to foresee
epizootological situations, as the disease passes from one apiary to another or it is transmitted by wasps.
Without controlling the efficacy of
treatments and adequately using the
available techniques, blind treatments will induce a false view of security regarding the health of bees.
Precious information may be obtained
by use of screened bottom boards,
but also by uncapping drone brood
and by examinations of adult bees.
Importance of the
screened bottom board
In order to minimize the damages
caused in apiaries, the evolution of
varroosis in the bee colonies must be
supervised at all times, and fighting
measures must be applied by taking
17

into consideration the physiological

state of the bee colony and the biological cycle of the acarian. The permanent monitoring of the health state
of the bee colony (the degree of infestation) is performed by using the
screened bottom board (photo 7). The
natural mortality of acarians, observed
during the summer, but also the analysis of the detritus collected in winter
provide concrete data regarding the
intensity of the infestation (7, 8 ,11).
How to choose medication?
One cannot randomly use any registered medicine, imposed or analyzed
only by the price view point.
The medicine must be highly efficient and maintain its effect for a long
period after administration, as during
the active season only 15% of acarians are to be found on bees, and the
remaining 85% or even more are in
the brood cells (photo 2).
The medicine must not influence
the health of bees
An anti-parasitic treatment is effective
if it ensures maximum results with
minimum risks for the bee colony.
The application (administration) techniques must be easy and must not
create either adverse reactions in the
bee population or dysfunctions for the
operator. Fumigation, evaporation, sublimation or spraying implies constant
temperatures and specialized devices.
The application period must not be
influenced by the period of activity or
rest of the bee colony, and the treatment must be available at all times.
The medicine must not contaminate the products of the hive
The compliance with the strategic
programs of preventing and fighting
18

Parasite on a bee larva.

Photo: BeeVital Archiv

diseases and the requirements of the

European Union on ensuring the quality of beekeeping products is a vital,
non-negotiable necessity. Conversion
from conventional to ecological apiaries is a major objective for any European country (4, 24).
The medicine must not induce resistance to acarians
Both pyrethroids (fluvalinate, flumethrin) and other synthesis chemical
substances (amitraz) induce resistance. Moreover, amitraz induces
cross resistance (18).
Why we recommend
BeeVital HiveClean
Currently there is no other product on
the market, tested and registered with
the Institutes of Biological and Veterinary Product Control that may be applied risk-free, both in winter and in
any other period of the year (Table 1).
By using BeeVital HiveClean maximum results are obtained with minimum risks to the bee colony as a
whole, and on an individual level
(worker bee, queen).
With BeeVital HiveClean we act
against Varroa with efficient and nonpollutant means, even in the wintering
cluster. In EU the National Beekeep-

ing Program subsidizes the antivarroa

treatments; in some EU member
states organic apiaries benefit from
additional financial support and an important component consists in financial aid for bio means of controlling
Varroa, BeeVital HiveClean being one
of the few options in this case.

4a

Ensuring the quality of

beekeeping products
European Union consumers general
orientation towards the consumption
of natural products and the extreme
sensitivity to the issue of food residues
demand us, as suppliers of agricultural
products, extreme care in fighting bee
diseases. Unlike many other food
products, the main risks for beekeeping products are chemical ones, especially because of medicine treatments
applied on bee colonies.
The honey considered as natural and
pure must be free of any residues. By
using BeeVital, which is an ecological
product, we ensure this desiderate.
The quality of beekeeping products is
also ensured by complying with strategic programs of preventing and fighting diseases and the requirements on
beekeeping best practice guides and
product traceability (4, 24).
Success in fighting varroosis will depend on how fast beekeepers, taking
into consideration the EU requirements
on the quality of beekeeping products,
will adopt modern fighting strategies.
Let us not forget that, in time, the disease was favored in its evolution by
two subjective factors: the lack of
knowledge on pathogenesis and the
underestimation of the damages
caused by the acarian due the lack of
sanitary supervision.

Mutilated acarian, multiple damage,

Photo: National Refernce Lab of the
dorsal view.
National Institute for Diagnosis and Animal Health, Bucharest ( X 20 )

4b

Mutilated acarian, crushed shield.

Photo: National Refernce Lab of the
National Institute for Diagnosis and Animal Health, Bucharest ( X 20 )

4c

Mutilated acarian, immature stage multiple

damage.
Photo: National Refernce Lab of the
National Institute for Diagnosis and Animal Health, Bucharest ( X 20 )

19

20

>5%

>5%

>5%

>5%

Examination of
detritus

JUL

>5%

>5%

JUN

>5%

MAY

Control on
200 adult
bees

APR

>5%

MAR

Examination
of worker
bee brood**

FEB

>10% >10% >10%

JAN

Uncapping
of drone
brood*

OBSERVATION
METHOD

>5%

AUG

>5%

SEP

>5%

OCT

>5%

NOV

Control by clinical examinations in the apiary

(n=200; *acarians in 100 individuals; **immature bees or bees with deformed wings %)

ANNEX 1
CONTROL OF VARROOSIS IN THE APIARY

>5%

DEC

Immediate
treatment

Immediate
treatment

Immediate
treatment

Immediate
treatment

OBSERVATIONS

21

JAN

FEB

MAR
APR

>3

>6

Daily
acarian
falls

Daily
acarian
falls

>0,5

Daily
acarian
falls

>0,5

>20

Daily
acarian
falls

NATURAL FALLS

Acarian fall
(24 h)

>6

>3

>20

CONTROL WITH AGARICIDES

OBSERVATION
METHOD

>10

>3

>20

MAY

>10

>20

JUN

CONTROL BY SCREENED BOTTOM BOARD

>16

>20

JUL

>30

>20

AUG

>20

>20

SEP

>20

>20

OCT

>20

NOV

0,5

DEC

Critical
situation /
collapse

Immediate
treatment

Control
after 2
month

Control in
autumn

Immediate
treatment

OBSERVATIONS

ANNEX 2
COMMON LIST OF PATHOGENS FOR BEES, DISEASE
NAME, INTER-COLONY TRANSMISSION AND VIRULENCE

TYPE OF
PATHOGEN

NAME OF
PATHOGEN

NAME OF
DISEASE

Protozoa

Nosema sp.

Nosema disease

Malphigamoeba
mellificae

Amoebiasis

Ascosphaera
apis

Fungi

Bacteria

TRANSMISSION

VIRULENCE

+++

Benign lethal

+++

Benign

Ascospherosis
(chalk brood)

+++

Benign

Ascosphaera sp.

Aspergillosis
(stone brood)

+++

Benign

Paenibacillus
larvae

American
foul brood

+++

Lethal

Melissococcus
plutonius

European
foul brood

+++

Benign

Acute paralysis
virus

+++

Benign*

Deformed wing
virus

+++

Benign*

CPV

Chronic paralysis virus

+++

Benign*

BQV

Black queen cell

virus

+++

Benign*

SBV

Sac brood virus

+++

Benign*

Acarapis woodi

Acarapisosis

+++

Benign towards
lethal**

Varroa
destructor****

Varroosis

+++

Benign lethal***

Tropilaelaps sp.

+++

Benign lethal***

Aethina tumida

+++

Benign lethal***

P. alvei
B. laterosporus
E.faecalis

Viruses

APV
DWV

Acarians

Pests

22

GLOSSARY

Ancestral character derived from ancestors.

Chemoreceptor terminal part of an organ that, in contact with the molecules of a substance in the external environment, receives it and differentiates
it depending on its chemical structure.
Detritus material collected in the tray of the screened bottom board during the
wintering of the bee colony, remains and broken pieces, larvae, insects, etc.
Endemic infectious or parasitic disease that is permanently found in one region.
Enzootic spread form of an infectious-contagious or parasitic disease in a
certain territory, without extending tendency, but reoccurring periodically and
sporadically.
Phagocytosis engulfing and digesting foreign bodies (microbes) by certain
specialized cells (phagocytes).
Phylogenesis process by which a group of organisms differentiates in time
(classes, species, varieties, families, etc.) within the process of evolution of the
living world.
Phytoncides volatile substances generated and eliminated by certain plants,
with bacteriostatic and sometimes bactericide action.
Habitat (biotope) living environment which provides favorable conditions,
the complex of these conditions.
Hemolymph circulating liquid in the organism of bees containing nutritious
substances and in which cellular elements, with a phagocytizing role, and humoral elements, with an anti-infectious role (lysozyme, apidecines) freely float.
Homeostasis property of the organism to maintain constant values of the internal environment within very close limits.
Panzootic wide-spread disease (countries, continents) which affects a large
number of individuals.
Parthenogenesis growth of organisms from unfecundated eggs.
Cross resistance to insecticides capability of living organisms (acarians) to acquire, by natural selection, resistance to toxic doses of chemically or otherwise related substances, even if they have never been used as treatments upon
these organisms.
Sensiles sensorial appendices.

Legend of Annex 2
1(+) or +++
*
serious effects when infected only with Varroa parasites
**
serious effects where the parasite has been recently destroyed
***
serious effects where the parasite has been recently destroyed or where
the parasite is effectively fought with
****
Newly described species of V. Jacobsoni (Anderson and Trueman 2000)
(Gabriela Chioveanu, 2008)
23

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Agache P. Biologia i etologia acarianului Varroa Jacobsoni Oudemans.

Apicultura n Romania (1988) vol. 63 (4),19;
2. Akyol E., Yeninar H. Controlling Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae) in
Honeybee Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Colonies by using Thymovar and BeeVital. Ital. J. Anim. Sci. 2008, vol 7, 237- 242;
3. Branco R. Manuela, Kidd A. C. N., Picard S.R. A Comparative Evaluation of Sampling Methods for Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae) Population Estimation. Apidologie 37 (2006) 452-461;
4. Bruneau E. (Belgia) Legislaia European i reglementrile legate de principiile de bun practic apicol n Uniunea Europeana. Simp. Int. Apimondia Beekeeping Simple & Clear, Bucuresti, 2008
5. Cuia Eliza, Siceanu A., apcaliu Agripina. Utilizarea testului pentru
comportament igienic n selecia pentru rezistena la boli minimalizarea
riscului bolilor la albine i tratamentelor. Simp. Lumea albinelor la nceputul
mileniului III Tulcea 2008 (ed 8-a)
6. Chioveanu Gabriela, Dobre Gh. Managementul integrat al varroozei.
Lumea apicol (2007) oct (6), 17;
7. Chioveanu Gabriela. Contribuii la studiul etiologiei, prevenirii i combaterii acariozelor la albine, (2007) FMV Bucuresti ,Tez.
8. Chioveanu Gabriela. Supravegherea sanitar-veterinar a coloniilor de albine n Romania. Simp. apicol Prioriti n apicultura zilelor noastre
USAMV Bucureti, 2008;
9. Cebotari Valentina, Grabcenco V., Mo oi I. Testarea preparatelor antivarroa specifice apiculturii organice. Chiinu - Apicultura modern 2007
(1).32-36
10. Cebotari Valentina, Mooi I., Derjaschi V., Magdici Maria. Aprecierea
a dou tratamente organice de combatere a varoozei albinei melifere. Simp.
Int. Performane i competivitate n producia animal USAMV Iasi, 2007;
11. Cosoroab Iustin. Acarologie veterinar (1984) Ed. Ceres, Bucureti;
12. Dillier F. X., Fluri P., Guerin P. Varroa destructor a son nez sur ses pattes.
Rev. Suisse dApicultuire. 98 (11-12) 2001,462-468
13. Dinc Oana, Lionide Magdalena. Prezena i controlul reziduurilor de amitraz i piretroizi n mierea de albine, Simp. apicol Prioriti n apicultura
zilelor noastre USAMV Bucureti, 2008;
14. Dobre Gh. Din experiena utilizrii tratamentelor antivarroa n Romnia.
Simp. apicol Prioriti n apicultura zilelor noastre USAMV Bucureti,
2008;
15. Dobre Gh. Combaterea varroozei - o necesitate pentru perioada actual
a anului apicol. Lumea apicol (2008) iul (15),13;
16. Dobre Gh. Aprecierea n stupin a gradului de parazitare cu varroa. Lumea
apicol (2008) sep (17), 23;
17. Dobre Gh. De ce ignoram n combatere sl biciunile acarianului varroa?
Lumea apicol (2000) dec (20),6;
24

18. Goodwin M., Eaton van Cliff. Control of Varroa. A Guide for New Zealand
Beekeeperrs. 2001, MAF (New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture)
19. Horn H., BeeVital HiveClean. Test Report. http://beevital.com/media/test
20. Ibrahim A., Spivak Marla. The Relationship between Hygienic Behavior
and Suppression of Mite Re-Production of Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
Mechanism of Resistence to Varroa Destructor. Apidologie 37 (2006) 31-40;
21. Imdorf A., Charriere J.D., Kilchenmann Verena, Bogdanov S., Fluri P.
Alternative Strategy in Central Europe for the Control of Varroa Destructor
in Honey Bee Colonies. Apiacta 38 (2003)258-285
22. Kolasinski R. Noi cercetri n Polonia privind eficiena produsului BeeVital n combaterea varrozei. Simp. apicol Prioriti n apicultura zilelor noastre USAMV Bucureti, 2008;
23. Lipinski Z. Antivarroa Treatments, Health of Bees and Quality of Honey,
Simp. apicol Prioriti n apicultura zilelor noastre USAMV Bucureti,
2008;
24. Lllmann C. (Germania).Cerine de calitate pentru miere n Uniunea European. Simp. Int. Apimondia Beekeeping Simple & Clear, Bucureti,
2008;
25. Moosbeckhofer R. Field Trials on Efficacy to Control Varroa Destructor
and Possible Effects on Honey Quality of BeeVital HiveClean, ApiconceptBIOTAB and Danys KnabbaStreifen. Raport Institut fur Bienenkunde,
AGES,Wien.www.ages.at;
26. Olteanu Gh. (sub redacia) Parazitozoonoze. Probleme la sfrit de mileniu n Romnia. (1999) Ed. Viaa medical, Bucureti;
27. Krystyna Pohorecka, Pawe W grzynowicz, Dariusz Gerula, Beata
Panasiuk. BeeVital HiveClean The Effect on Varroa destructor and on the
Colonies of Bees. Presentation at the Beekeeping Conference Puavy,
Poland, 2009
28. www.beevital.com
29. www.csicert.com
30. www. ecoinspect.ro

Copyright by Eurohonig-BeeVital srl Bucuresti, eurohonig@gmail.com

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retreival system, digitised or transmitted in any form, whether by means of photocopying electronically, mere copying or in any other
way, without obtaining the written consent of Eurohonig-BeeVital srl
25

ANNEX 3

26

ANNEX 4

27

ANNEX 5

28

Table of Content
Introduction ..............................................................................................................1
Composition .............................................................................................................2
Mechanism of action................................................................................................2
Main characteristics .................................................................................................3
When to use BeeVital HiveClean..............................................................................3
Main characteristics of product HiveClean ..............................................................3
How to use BeeVital HiveClean................................................................................4
Treatment calendar ..................................................................................................4
The Bee colony ........................................................................................................5
Bee colony annual cycle ..........................................................................................5
Labor relationships between bees ...........................................................................5
Instinctual activities and behavior patterns .............................................................6
Bee colony evolution and involution ........................................................................6
Defense complex in bees.........................................................................................6
One must treat the colony as a whole, not the individual ........................................8
Integrated past management ...................................................................................8
Biology and behavior of Varroa sp. acarian .............................................................8
Acarian pathogenicity.............................................................................................11
Population unbalance of the bee colony................................................................12
Epizootology ..........................................................................................................12
Apiary health (Varroosis Diagnosis) ........................................................................12
What does one determine and how does one interpret the results? .....................13
Diagnosis methods ................................................................................................13
Apiary examinations ..............................................................................................13
Observations on the screen bottom board ............................................................13
Apreciating the degree of infestation by natural acarian falls ................................14
Control treatments with acaricides .......................................................................15
Observations on the sealed brood .........................................................................15
Control on live bees ...............................................................................................15
Laboratory examinations .......................................................................................16
Information on various interventions with BeeVital HiveClean ..............................17
Conclusions............................................................................................................17
Importance of the screen bottom board ................................................................17
How to choose medication? .................................................................................18
Why we recommend BeeVital HiveClean...............................................................18
Ensuring the quality of beekeeping products ........................................................19
Annex 1 Control of Varroosis in the apiary .............................................................20
Annex 1 Control by screened bottom board..........................................................21
Annex 2 Common list of pathogens for bees, disease name... ............................22
Glossary .................................................................................................................23
Bibliography ...........................................................................................................24
Annex 3 Certificate Ecoinspect S.R.L. ..................................................................25
Annex 4 Certificate CSI Dr. C. Lllmann ...............................................................26
Annex 5 Certificate QSI Chemical-physical-analysis .............................................27
29